Kimchi Mamas

Voting for French President

I was the only person standing in line who wasn't white and the only one who had to show her identification twice. Some stared at me suspiciously, with an expression of mingled incredulity and discomfort, making me feel like a brutal intruder, like I didn't belong.

I can't say that I didn't care or that it didn't matter. It hurt me. But I thought of my children, of my parents, of this elderly Chinese man who was arrested and handcuffed as he was waiting for his grandsons to come out of school and I felt proud. I was proud that my right to vote for president was legitimate, something some might want to object but will never be able to take away from me. I was proud to be Korean, to be French, to just be. To voice my opinion. For me, for my family and for those who couldn't voice their own.

(you can read more about the French election here)

- Irene

Children's Day in Korea

May 5th was Children's Day in Korea ("eorini nal") and last Wednesday, for the first time, the Korean Embassy in France opened its door to all the Korean children and, with the help of the two Korean schools in Paris, organized a huge afternoon party for them.

   

The event provided the children a chance to meet Mr. Il-Hwan Cho, the ambassador of Korea in France, to get a tour of the embassy and to sample three Korean traditional games such as "tuho nori" (pitching arrows into a pot), "jaeggi chaggi" (think "hackeysack" ) and "bi-seok chiggi" (throwing rocks against each other). There was also a drawing contest which theme was "Paris, Children's day and Family" and each of the kids got a nice gift at the end of the day.

Sean and Will had a wonderful time and it was great to watch all those kids learn a little bit about their Korean culture. Did you celebrate "eorini nal"?

- Irene

Our Chinese New Year

I'm a Sunday school teacher at the Korean church that my family is attending. This year, we wanted to do something fun for the kids to celebrate the Chinese New Year and at the same time teach them about the Korean culture and traditions. So we had friends send us little "bok jumoni" (traditional purses) from Korea and filled them with Korean candies, the children did "sae-bae" to the adults and learned how to make man-doo.

The kids loved it and really enjoyed eating their own man-doo. It was great watching them because we never did such things at church when I was young. Sean and Will now ask me to make man-doo all the time (I usually buy the frozen ones at the Korean grocery store. I know, I'm a bad mom but they are SO good!).

Do you celebrate the Chinese New Year? If yes, what did you do this year?

- Irene

I didn't think I would love it so much

Visiting Korea with my husband and sons has been a wonderful and tremendously meaningful experience. I nearly cried when we first landed at Incheon International Airport, and later as I watched my boys navigating the aisles of a Family Mart.

And this is exactly what this trip has been all about: little, sudden spurts of joy that made me feel like weeping every hour and that no one has been able to explain. Not to mention the 8 pounds I’ve gained in two weeks.

Every day was challenging -though being fluent in Korean I had to rely on my husband for most everything-, yet exciting and full of opportunities to teach our children, and myself, a little more about our country. The food, the history, the fun places we visited. And through Sean and Will’s enthusiasm I was reminded to forgive, understand, overlook, to embrace and enjoy rather than judge, criticize and shake my head with disbelief every time someone bumped into me and didn’t apologize.

Watching Sean and Will with my husband’s parents transcend the language barrier through the love they have for each other also reminded me of the significance and beauty of family, and how much I want my kids to develop a closer, meaningful bond with their grandparents. At the end of the trip, they even started to talk to them in Korean spontaneously.

The family dinners. The banana milk. The Jjimjil bangs. The shoes with lights. I didn't think I would love it so much. I didn’t think it would be so hard to leave. And I sincerely hope that all of you who still have to travel to Korea with your family will have as much fun as we did.

More pictures of our trip here and here.

- Irene

Visiting Korea

When I was a child I went to visit my family in Korea every summer and I absolutely loved it. I still have happy, vivid memories of it, eating ice-creams on a hot day, running in the playground, watching television with my grandmother, buying new shoes and tons of erasers.

The last time I went to Seoul I was pregnant with Sean and Will. My husband and I had been wanting to take our boys to Korea for a long time, but whether we felt that they were still too small or the timing was inconvenient.

My husband has been invited to the Pusan International Film Festival this year and went to Korea last week. And tonight, Sean, Will and myself will fly 12 hours and spend the next 2 weeks with him in Seoul. We also plan to spend a couple of days visiting the island of Cheju. I’m really excited about this trip, even if it will involve a marathon of meeting relatives I’ve never heard of. I can’t wait to show my kids the wonderful things that this country has to give. I’m a bit anxious though about how Korean people are going to perceive my boys who don’t speak Korean at all. I still remember how everyone used to stare at me when I talked to my mother in French when I was little.

Have you and your family visited Korea recently? What are your feelings about it?

- Irene

Is your child going to a Korean school?

Lately, it has become harder to speak to Sean and Will only in Korean at home. As they get older and more talkative, asking for fast explanations and quick answers, it is sometimes easier for me to express myself and be more specific in French.

As some of you already know, my four-year-old boys will start going to a Korean school every Wednesday afternoon this year. Sean and Will are still not speaking Korean yet, although they understand everything we say.

I went to a Korean school when I was about Sean and Will's age. And though I learned how to write and read in Korean there, I hated it. Kids kept making fun of me for not knowing how to write "tokki" (rabbit) and it was hard to have people looking at me like something was terribly wrong. The school is affiliated with a Korean church in Paris and fortunately, I've known the Pastor and his wife all my life. But I'm nervous about all this. I know it's important for Sean and Will to learn how to speak, write and read Korean, but I'm afraid of the other kids' (and their mothers') reactions. What if someone says something hurtful and Sean and Will become reluctant to speak Korean?

Have you or your children been to a Korean school? What was your experience like?

The Korean family way

When I mentioned to my mother yesterday that our family might take a trip to Korea in October and spend some time in Pusan, her eyes widened and she said:

"Oh, you are going to Pusan! You have to meet Yun-Hee then!"

"Who's Yun-Hee?"

"He's your cousin! I know you've never met him, but he's your Grandmother's cousin's daughter's son"

"And you know him?" I asked.

"Well, not really. I saw him briefly when he visited Paris last winter"

"Mom, we will only spend a few days in Pusan, and we have good friends we haven't seen in the last 5 years living there. I don't know if I'll have time to meet him"

"You have to meet Yun-Hee" she said again, "he's family, how can you compare family and friends?"

I profoundly love and care for my family in Korea. They're one of the reasons I want Sean and Will to speak Korean. But my mother does not understand why I care more about people I've known for a decade than a complete stranger who is, I agree, somehow related to me by blood.

I wonder if it's because she has been living in France away from her own family for more than 30 years. Or if it's because I was born and grew up here where family traditions are so different. What do you think? Have you experienced the same thing?

- Irene

Korean movie posters

I studied films in college and got to watch a lot of foreign movies from Spain, Russia, Italy and of course, Korea. Korean movies are not my favorite, and I don't always understand them (this is when I realize I am more French than I will ever admit), but I am thrilled and very proud that the movie industry is now acknowledging the talent and quality of Korean film directors. One thing I absolutely love though are the movie posters. I think they reflect the amazing visionary talent and sense of beauty of Korean designers and artists (I can spend HOURS shopping for notebooks and pens when visiting Seoul!).

One of my husband's friends is a famous commercial film director in Korea and his wife has designed most of the best movie posters. Here are my favorites:

Oh how I miss those melon bars!

I found this article on MSN Lifestyle about "What toddlers eat around the world" and here is what they write about kids in Korea:

"Korean food, in general, is defined by bold and spicy flavors. One way toddlers learn to handle the heat, is by eating lots and lots of kimchi, a pickled vegetable dish containing generous amounts of chili powder. Chinese cabbage, radish, garlic, onions, and sometimes seafood are other popular ingredients in this quintessential Korean dish. Another staple, kim bab, consists of rice and small portions of vegetables wrapped in nori (seaweed sheets). It's similar to the Japanese maki roll, but with the exception of the distinct smell of sesame oil, and these popular fillers: spinach, eggs, cucumber, and kimchi.

Other Favorites: Bibimbab is white rice topped with beef, vegetables, and a fried egg -- and lots of chili pepper sauce. Nongshim is a brand of spicy Korean ramen noodles, usually cooked with eggs and onions.

Sweet Tooth Satisfiers: "There is more junk food in Korea than in America," laments one parent. Koreans eat a wide variety of candy and ice cream. Melon bars made from honeydew, and Popsicles are also popular."

-Irene

Going to a Korean church: it's not just about God

As I mentioned last week, my parents are a first generation Koreans and came in France in 1975. With a group of fellow immigrants, they started to gather in each other's houses to sudy the Bible and pray and, since my father was a TaeKwonDo professor, held Sunday services at the gym. There are now about 12 Korean churches in Paris.

I have very fond memories of going to church. But growing up in the Korean community was not always easy. Yes, all mothers could not help talking about grades and expensive private schools. And it was especially hard to balance what was completely accepted in France but would have been highly controversed in Korea. Having a boyfriend at 14 for example, or wearing makeup at 16. But I have also learned a lot about the Korean culture at church and I believe it has helped me define and accept my true identity.

Our family goes to a Korean church every Sunday. Young mothers still gather to compare their babies' weight and milestones and I still feel slightly uncomfortable at times. But it also gives me a deep sense of connection with who I am. And I hope that interacting with other Korean kids, learning Korean songs and immersing in the Korean culture every week will help Sean and Will not only understand where their parents come from but also fully appreciate and embrace who they are.

—Irène